Game



R.- E. JONES Jan. 13, 1942.

GAME

Filed March 23, 1940 INVENTOR. RALPH E. JONES Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UHTED STATES FATE r FFICE Claims.

This invention relates to games. It has for its objects:

First, to provide a new and improved game and game apparatus.

Second, to provide such a game and game apparatus which involves skill and strategy.

Third, to provide such a game and game apparatus in which one player rolls a disk and then tosses a member to a point adjacent the disk and then lays out a barrier from said member to protect his disk, after which another player rolls a similar disk in an effort to strike the disk of the first player without crossing the barrier.

Further objects and advantages pertaining to details and economies of construction and operation will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims. A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the tossing member forming a portion of my game apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a disk member forming part of my game apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of the barrier member forming part of my game apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a view showing how the game apparatus is employed in playing the game.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a different form of disk member.

Fig. '7 is a plan View of a still difierent form of disk member.

Fig. 8 shows a modified form of the barrier member.

My new and improved game apparatus consists of a pair of disk-like members I, one of which is shown in Fig, 2. These members are preferably of different colors and one of them has on one side only a pair of grooves 2 and 3 which meet to form an angle. The bottom 4 of the grooves is preferably made of a color different from the rest of the disk. The fact that this color lies at the bottom of the groove protects it from. obliteration during use of the disk.

The edges of the disk are provided with a flat peripheral portion 5 and the sides 6 are rounded as shown in Fig. 3.

A tossing member is also provided. It consists of a spherical body portion 1 having four equally spaced prongs 8 of equal length extending therefrom. Each prong forms the same angle with the next adjacent prong and the ends thereof can be provided with spherical members 9. These members 9 are preferably made of relatively soft Cir rubber to cushion the member and reduce the danger of breakage when it lands and to increase the chances of its: bounding to various positions after it has first struck the ground. The entire tossing member may be made of rubber.

The barrier member consists of a flexible cord 50 to one end of which is fastened a ring H adapted to slip over one of the prongs 8 of the hurling member to fasten the barrier member thereto. At the other end of the barrier memher It), I provide a: handle or weight I2.

The tossing member forms part of the barrier. The extent of the barrier is increased by the application of the cord. In Fig. 4, I show the end of the cord attached to the tossing member, but I can also, as shown in Fig. 8, provide a flexible cord III] with the fastening ring Ill attached at a central point so that the barrier may be extended in two directions instead of one.

In Fig. 6, I show a modified form of disk NH having a bevel edge I05. This form of disk may be employed to give a curving path at all times to the disk as rolled.

In Fig. 7, I shOW a still further form of disk consisting of a hoop 29! on one face of which are lines 202 and 203 corresponding to the lines 2 and 3 on the disk of Fig. 2.

In this application, when I refer broadly to disk-like members, it will be understood, of course, that I wish to include within the term the hoop shown in Fig. '7.

In playin the game, one player takes one of the disks l which has the intersecting grooves or lines 2 and 3 on one side only thereof and rolls it out over the ground as shown in Fig. 5. The object is to have the disk lcome to rest with the side thereof having the lines or grooves 2 and 3 thereon uppermost.- The player then takes the tossing member and tosses it to a point adjacent the disk, preferably at a shorter distance from him than the disk. After this is done, the barrier member is fastened to the tossing member by placing the ring over one of the prongs 8. The barrier member is then stretched out in a line, preferably between the starting point and the disk I which has been rolled.

A variation of the game can be had by coloring one of the prongs a contrasting color. If the tossing member lies with this prong pointing upwardly, the player may have another toss to try to place it. in a more advantageous position .before arranging the barrier.

The second player then takes a disk member and rolls it just as the first member is rolled. at-

tempting to hit the other players disk without striking the barrier.

Considerable skill may be acquired in rolling the disks and by providing the fiat peripheral portion and rounded sides, I make the disk I subject to many variations in rolling. The flat peripheral portion makes it possible to roll the disk for a considerable distance in a straight line. By rounding the corners I make it possible by tilting the disk to roll it with a rather long roundin path, making it possible to roll the disk in such a manner that it will roll around the barrier and return, striking the other players disk on the first roll.

The game may be scored somewhat as follows although variations may be included. The second player to roll receives five points for striking the other player's disk. The first player receives one point for every roll made by the second player prior to striking the disk. The first player may also receive three points for every time the second players disk strikes the barrier. The second player rolls until he strikes the disk, whereupon the players start over with the second player rolling the first disk and tossing the tossing member.

By providing the grooves or lines 2 and 3 on one face only of the first disk to be rolled, I provide a nice variation to the game. If the first disk lies with the unmarked side up, the second player receives a free roll. If the second player rolls his disk in such a manner that it falls within the territory encompassed by lines extending from the lines 2 and 3 on the disk, he also receives a free roll, that is, he does not have to count for the roll just made.

I have found that considerable skill may be involved both in rolling the first disk and the second disk and that the lay of the land makes it necessary to exercise considerable strategy, both in placing the barrier and in rolling the disks in such a manner as to make it difficult for the other player or to make the next succeeding shot more simple.

It will be apparent that the size of the disks and tossing member may be varied. For use where large expanses of land are available, large sets may be provided. For use on small lawns, small sets may be provided, and for indoor use, even smaller sets.

It will be apparent that the rules which I have outlined may be varied without departing from my invention. Boundaries may be selected and variations based upon rolling the disks out of bounds may be employed. For instance, a penalty may be attached for going out of bounds or the rules may provide that if a player announces his inention to roll out of bounds, he may do so provided that a failure to go out of bounds will result in a penalty.

The terms and expressions which have been herein employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation. There is no intention in the use of these terms and expressions of exeluding any equivalents of the features shown and described. It is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a pair of disklike rolling members, one having on its side a pair of meeting lines defining an angle and adapted to be rolled to a position by a player, a member comprising a body portion having four equally spaced prongs extending therefrom each forming the same angle with the next adjacent prong for said player to toss to proximity to the aforesaid disk-like member after it is rolled to position, and a barrier member comprising a cord-like element having means for attachment to one of said prongs, said second disk-like member being adapted to be rolled to cause it to approach a desired position relative to said first rolled disk-like member and said other members by another player.

2. A game apparatus comprising a pair of disk-like rolling members, one of which is adapted to be rolled to a position by a player, a member comprising a body portion having equally spaced prongs extending therefrom each forming the same angle with the next adjacent prong for said player to toss to proximity to the already rolled disk-like member after it is in position, and a barrier member comprising a cord-like element having means for attachment to one of said prongs, the other disk-like member being adapted to be rolled to cause it to approach a desired position relative to said first rolled disklike member and said other members by another player.

3. In game apparatus, a disk-like rolling member, a member having a plurality of prongs adapted to be thrown by a player and unfailingly come to a stable rest position on certain of said prongs as a base with another of said prongs disposed in predetermined relation to the base, a flexible barrier cable having means thereon for attachment to and detachment from said predeterminedly positioned prong to enable the pronged member to be thrown alone, said cable extending laterally from the pronged member. and a second disk-like rolling member adapted to be rolled by a player with the object of causing the same to approach a desired position relative to said pronged member and barrier cable.

4. In game apparatus, a disk-like rolling memher, a member having a plurality of prongs adapted to be thrown by a player and unfailingly come to a stable rest position on certain of said prongs as a base with another of said prongs disposed in predetermined relation to the base, a barrier member, means for connecting said barrier member to said predeterminedly positioned prong, said means being detachable to enable the pronged member to be thrown alone, and a member adapted to be rolled by a player with the object of causing the same to approach a desired position relative to said first disk-like rolling member, said pronged member and said barrier member.

5. In game apparatus, a disk-like rolling member, a tossing member adapted to be thrown by a player and unfailingly come to a stable rest position, a barrier member, means for connecting said tossing member and barrier member, said means being detachable to enable the tossing member to be thrown alone, and a second disklike member adapted to be rolled by a player with the object of causing the same to approach a desired position relative to said first disklike member, tossing member and barrier member.

RALPH E. JONES. 

